


Some curses can be gifts

by BlueFlameBird



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Dick Grayson is Batman, Kyle is still green lantern, M/M, This is an AU, Wally West is The Flash, i guess justice league unlimited?, if you want a universe example
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 01:51:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7598818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFlameBird/pseuds/BlueFlameBird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU in which bruce wayne dies, leaving Dick to carry the burden of the cowl. Everyone in the justice league is congratulating him, but no one realizes he doesnt want to be the batman, its just something he has to do. cue the new flash and green lantern coming to say their piece, and dick realizes maybe being batman wont be so bad. not with a friend like kyle and a potential boyfriend in wally?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Some curses can be gifts

**Author's Note:**

> based on a tumblr prompt (surprise surprise) i sent to irl-smol-robin on....tumblr. this is an au but can be read with the justice league cartoon in mind (since wally is the flash in that one)

“Congratulations on keeping the legend of the bat going.”

“The cowl looks great on you! Bruce would be proud!”

“You’ll make Batman proud!”

“Looking good!”

“Sorry about Bruce, but you look great!”

Dick nodded, pulling a smile he was sure looked more like a grimace as he waved off the Leaguer’s pats and praises. He stepped out of the room, leaving the commotion of having to inaugurate a new Batman for a moment of peace.

Well, as much peace as one could have in a giant piece of metal floating in space with a Kryptonian that could hear everything.

Except with Bruce being Bruce, Dick was sure these walls were lead lined.

Dick wandered the halls he already knew the blueprints to, thanks to Alfred, finding himself an empty room so he could pull a Batman and brood. As the door slid shut with an almost inaudible click, Dick let the façade slip.

He sighed.

His shoulders slumped.

The cowl felt heavy.

The cape was weighing him down.

The Batman armor just didn’t _fit._ It didn’t cling to him the way his Nightwing costume did. It didn’t give him the sense of freedom and agility.

It made him feel trapped.

Being Batman made him feel caged.

Bruce had dodged the devil for too long it seemed. Now that he was gone, he was left with the burden, the curse of the Bat.

He didn’t want it. But despite this fact, he knew he was the only one for it. The world needed a Batman, and Jason had proved to be ineffective for the job. They both nearly burned Gotham to the ground fighting for the cowl, Jason deciding to use lethal methods and Dick knowing he had to put a stop to him. And even though Dick managed to crawl his way to victory, it felt like in the end, he lost anyway.

He couldn’t just throw this burden on Tim and Damian. Tim was still a Teen Titan. He had his own team to lead. And Damian? He was just getting the hang of Robin. Not only did he lose his father but having to replace him as a mini Batman was out of the question. Dick wouldn’t put such a burden on him. It was too much for his younger brothers. None of them could handle it.

So the responsibility fell to him.

God he wished he could just give this up. He spent so long trying to get out of Bruce’s shadow, trying to make his own name for himself, only to be pulled back in.

“Hey dude!”

Dick jumped, cursing as he realized he not only let his guard down, but someone actually managed to sneak up on him. He was failing as Batman already.

Dick span around, coming face to face with the Flash and Earth’s Fourth Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner. Straightening his shoulders, Dick did his best impression of the batglare, but the Flash only laughed.

“Dude, you need to work on that batglare. Bruce used to have me shaking in my boots. No offense but you just seem too…not glarey.”

“That’s not even a word…” Kyle pointed out silently.

Dick felt the glare harden, trying his best to be intimidating. But the Flash had an easy couple inches on him, smiling at him as if they were long lost best friends. Kyle just didn’t seem phased at all. Instead he looked mildly apologetic.

“Was there something you guys needed?” Dick cut in with his best Batman voice, crossing his arms. Once again, the Flash just beamed.

“Right! Well, first off I wanted to say sorry about Bruce, and that I’m sure you’ll do just fine. I’m the Flash, by the way, but you can call me Wally. And this is Green Lantern, but you can call him Kyle. If you need any help, you can definitely come to me, or Kyle, but you should totally come to me first, I’m more fun than this stick in the mud.”

“Hey!” Kyle pouted, but soon smirked as the Flash sent him a grin of his own.

“Well thanks, but I’m sure I’ll be just fine.” Dick dismissed them with a dramatic flap of his cape, stalking towards the door. But the Flash suddenly zipped up to him, stopping him in his tracks.

“Woah woah woah, slow down there.”

“Hah.” Kyle deadpanned in complete monotone. Flash frowned.

“Shut up, Kyle. Anyway, look I know you bats have your thing with dealing with everything on your own, but it’s tough. I know it’s tough, but you don’t have to do it alone. We can help you, probably better than most of the other Leaguers can.”

“What the hell would you know?” Dick snapped. This seemed to genuinely surprise Wally, so Dick continued, feeling his rage rise. It felt good to take it out on someone, to throw everything in their face and just prove them wrong. “You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to be the Batman? It’s like a curse! I’m sorry, but I know you both have been training all of your life to replace them, the original Flash and Green Lantern. But that’s not me. I spent most of my life trying to make a name for myself, trying to get out of his shadow and escape this curse. But then he goes and _dies_ and I’m stuck picking up the slack! Red Hood can’t wear it, Red Robin can’t either, and Robin isn’t nearly ready for the burden. It’s like no matter how far I run, I’m just… _trapped!”_

Dick panted, feeling infinite times better. After the rage settled down, the guilt started settling in. God, why did he have to snap like that? All they wanted to do was help!

“Nightwing I’m guessing?” Kyle asked from behind him, prompting Dick to turn so he could face both Wally and him. Dick nodded, sighing.

“Yeah, I…I’m sorry about that. It’s just…I don’t want to _be_ the Batman. I don’t want to have to shoulder all the loneliness and burdens that comes with the cowl…I don’t want to…I don’t want to be Bruce.”

“Dude, like I said, we totally get it.” Wally spoke, his voice soft and Dick felt himself slightly reassured already. Wally reached up, pulling off the red cowl and revealing a face around Dick’s own age. Red hair and light freckles and the greenest eyes he’s ever seen, giving him a kind smile.

“When Uncle Barry died, I was devastated. I was angry and all I wanted was revenge. But it was Bruce who told me vengeance means nothing. But justice? That was what the Flash stood for, that was what we _all_ stood for. And by wearing Uncle Barry’s cowl I wasn’t just replacing him, no one could replace him. I was adding to his legacy, creating something new in the Flash. Standing firm to his beliefs while adding my own. I even changed up the suit, added my Kid Flash goggles, darkened the color, I made it _mine._ ”

“It’s the same with Hal Jordan.” Kyle spoke up, his ring flaring as the green mask around his eyes faded. He was around Dick’s height, black hair and green eyes, though they didn’t hold a candle to how bright Wally’s were. But they were just as kind and understanding. “He was my mentor, and the best damned Green Lantern there was. Reckless, sure, but he went into everything with a confidence that I didn’t have, that I had to learn to have. He taught me everything he knew and well…filling his shoes? It’s…scary. But if I don’t do it, no one else will, and if no one does then evil wins. He taught me that a Green Lantern is supposed to fight with everything he’s got, and that’s what I plan on doing.”

Dick swallowed. Of course. He knew. He didn’t know this deep, but he had some prior knowledge thanks to Bruce’s files. How could he have just…exploded like that? He knew the type of treatment Wally and Kyle got when they first took up their superiors mantles. But they did it with pride and honor. Their early rocky relationship forming into a friendship that was as close as the Flash and Green Lantern before them.

And Dick would do the same. Because while he and Bruce fought more than they got along, Bruce was still the one to raise him. The one to show him justice was the way to go, never anger and never revenge.

Swallowing, Dick looked at the floor nervously. His voice came out softly, “I’m…Im sorry It’s just…a big step you know?”

“Yeah, we know.” Wally said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “But you can do it. The league won’t really be able to understand, but we do. You should totally change the colors, by the way. Make it a bit more…colorful? How do you think Batman would look in purple?”

Dick found himself smiling. He reached a hand up, pulling the cowl down. Wally froze, eyes wide and opening his mouth like a fish. Kyle whooped, raising his hands in the air with a ‘knew it!’

“Guess I’m not doing that bad since I just made two friends, right? And uh, the name is Richard, Richard Grayson, but you can call me Dick. Batman would look horrible in purple, by the way. I’m supposed to be scary.”

“Well Dick, since all of Wally’s brain cells seem to be bleeding out of his ears, how about we ditch this place and discuss your costume modifications over some burgers? On you I presume since you’re the rich one and Wally eats enough food to feed entire countries?” Kyle laughed, his ring flaring to life as the mask returned.

Dick smiled wider, nodding. “Yeah, sure.”

Kyle stepped out of the room, bumping Wally’s shoulder with a knowing smirk. Dick raised an eyebrow at the speedster, feeling just a tad bit self-conscious at the gaze.

“Uh, me being Dick Grayson won’t be a problem, will it?”

This seemed to snap Wally out of his stupor.

“W-What? NO of course not. It’s just uh…” Wally blushed, making a point to look at the ground. “You’re a lot cuter than I thought you would be.”

It was Dick’s turn to blush a bit, but Wally just grinned at him. “So, want to ditch Kyle and make this a date, just you and me?”

Dick laughed at that and Wally smiled, both of them exiting the room as they pulled up their cowls. Dick missed seeing his eyes already. “How about we get through this first, and if you manage to woo me, then we can talk dates.”

“Oh my God, you guys just met and you’re grossing me out already. Get a room, please,” Kyle called from in front of them, getting smirks in return.

“Hey uh, I just thought of something.” Wally said, and Dick turned to him, eyebrow raised in question. The speedster blushed again. “Bruce may have been Batman first but you have something he didn’t have.”

“And what’s that? A sense of humor?”

Wally laughed, shaking his head. He grabbed Dick’s hand, interlocking their fingers together and squeezing gently. “That, but something even better. Me.”

“US!” Kyle called, getting laughs from the speedster and acrobat.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Dick said softly, squeezing back.

Maybe, just maybe, being Batman wouldn’t be that bad.


End file.
